Natalie Betts

Research Interests

Agricultural Biotechnology Biochemistry and Cell Biology Crop and Pasture Improvement Gene Expression Genetics Microbiology Plant Cell and Molecular Biology Plant Physiology Technical Writing

Dr Natalie Betts

School of Agriculture, Food and Wine

College of Sciences

Molecular biologist with experience in plant and fungal systems and recent specialisation in developing and germinating barley grain. Writing and editing experience in scientific, medical (regulatory) and business management fields.

Adelaide GlycoScience Group

My research focuses on defining fundamental barley malt and plantsgrain physiology, both during grain development and germination, with an end view to improving malting and brewing processes.

Working with industry partners Carlsberg and Coopers Breweries, I use molecular, bioinformatic and biochemical techniques to characterise genes involved in the many biological processes  required for successful barley germination. In particular, I am interested in which genes are expressed in separate tissues of the barley grain in very early germination.

RNA

barley tissuesI have developed new techniques to dissect the grain into its individual tissues, then analyse spatial and temporal patterns of gene expression by RNA sequencing. Coupled with in silico exploration of the newly published barley genome to identify complete gene families, my research has examined physiological processes in the barley grain such as cell wall re-modelling and degradation, and starch metabolism.

 

Date Position Institution name
2011 - ongoing Postdoctoral Fellow University of Adelaide
2008 - 2011 Technical writer Signostics
2000 - 2002 Associate McKinsey & Co

Date Institution name Country Title
1996 - 1999 University of Oxford United Kingdom DPhil
1992 - 1995 University of Adelaide Australia BSc Hons

Year Citation
2023 Hong, J., Rosental, L., Xu, Y., Xu, D., Orf, I., Wang, W., . . . Shi, J. (2023). Genetic architecture of seed glycerolipids in Asian cultivated rice. Plant Cell and Environment, 46(4: Rice 2050), 1278-1294.
DOI Scopus18 WoS19 Europe PMC14
2023 Hong, J., Su, S., Wang, L., Bai, S., Xu, J., Li, Z., . . . Zhang, D. (2023). Combined genome-wide association study and epistasis analysis reveal multifaceted genetic architectures of plant height in Asian cultivated rice. Plant Cell and Environment, 46(4), 1295-1311.
DOI Scopus16 WoS16 Europe PMC14
2021 Collins, H. M., Betts, N. S., Dockter, C., Berkowitz, O., Braumann, I., Cuesta-Seijo, J. A., . . . Fincher, G. B. (2021). Genes that mediate starch metabolism in developing and germinated barley grain. Frontiers in Plant Science, 12, 641325-1-641325-15.
DOI Scopus21 WoS18 Europe PMC11
2021 Li, G., Kuijer, H. N. J., Yang, X., Liu, H., Shen, C., Shi, J., . . . Zhang, D. (2021). MADS1 maintains barley spike morphology at high ambient temperatures. Nat Plants, 7(8), 1-31.
DOI Scopus66 WoS65 Europe PMC52
2021 Huang, G., Hu, H., van de Meene, A., Zhang, J., Dong, L., Zheng, S., . . . Zhang, D. (2021). AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR 6 and 7 control the flag leaf angle in rice by regulating secondary cell wall biosynthesis of lamina joints. The Plant Cell, 33(9), 3120-3133.
DOI Scopus76 WoS72 Europe PMC58
2020 Betts, N. S., Dockter, C., Berkowitz, O., Collins, H. M., Hooi, M., Lu, Q., . . . Fincher, G. B. (2020). Transcriptional and biochemical analyses of gibberellin expression and content in germinated barley grain. Journal of Experimental Botany, 71(6), 1870-1884.
DOI Scopus27 WoS26 Europe PMC19
2020 Zhang, X., Zhao, G., Tan, Q., Yuan, H., Betts, N., Zhu, L., . . . Liang, W. (2020). Rice pollen aperture formation is regulated by the interplay between OsINP1 and OsDAF1. Nature Plants, 6(4), 394-403.
DOI Scopus50 WoS47 Europe PMC38
2020 Cowley, J. M., Herliana, L., Betts, N. S., & Burton, R. A. (2020). Cellular debris, not mucilage polysaccharides, dominate extracts of Plantago ovata and Plantago lanceolata calli grown in vitro.
DOI
2020 Betts, N. S., Collins, H. M., Shirley, N. J., Cuesta-Seijo, J. A., Schwerdt, J. G., Phillips, R. J., . . . Bulone, V. (2020). Identification and spatio-temporal expression analysis of barley genes that encode putative modular xylanolytic enzymes. Plant Science, 308, 1-12.
DOI Scopus1
2018 Aubert, M., Coventry, S., Shirley, N. J., Betts, N., Würschum, T., Burton, R., & Tucker, M. (2018). Differences in hydrolytic enzyme activity accompany natural variation in mature aleurone morphology in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Scientific Reports, 8(1), 11025-1-1025-14.
DOI Scopus36 WoS31 Europe PMC21
2017 Betts, N., Berkowitz, O., Liu, R., Collins, H., Skadhauge, B., Dockter, C., . . . Fincher, G. (2017). Isolation of tissues and preservation of RNA from intact, germinated barley grain. The Plant Journal, 91(4), 754-765.
DOI Scopus29 WoS30 Europe PMC26
2017 Betts, N., Wilkinson, L., Khor, S., Shirley, N., Lok, F., Skadhauge, B., . . . Collins, H. (2017). Morphology, carbohydrate distribution, gene expression, and enzymatic activities related to cell wall hydrolysis in four barley varieties during simulated malting. Frontiers in Plant Science, 8, 1872-1-1872-15.
DOI Scopus39 WoS39 Europe PMC21
2016 Cu, S., Collins, H., Betts, N., March, T., Janusz, A., Stewart, D., . . . Fincher, G. (2016). Water uptake in barley grain: physiology; genetics and industrial applications. Plant Science, 242, 260-269.
DOI Scopus13 WoS12 Europe PMC7
2016 Byrt, C., Betts, N., Tan, H., Lim, W., Ermawar, R., Nguyen, H., . . . Burton, R. (2016). Prospecting for energy-rich renewable raw materials : Sorghum stem case study. PLoS One, 11(5), e0156638-1-e0156638-20.
DOI Scopus8 WoS6 Europe PMC2
2016 Corbin, K., Betts, N., van Holst, N., Jiranek, V., Chambers, D., Byrt, C., . . . Burton, R. (2016). Low-input fermentations of agave tequilana leaf juice generate high returns on ethanol yields. BioEnergy Research, 9(4), 1142-1154.
DOI Scopus13 WoS12
2015 Ermawar, R., Collins, H., Byrt, C., Betts, N., Henderson, M., Shirley, N., . . . Burton, R. (2015). Distribution, structure and biosynthetic gene families of (1,3;1,4)-β-glucan in Sorghum bicolor. Journal of Integrative Plant Biology, 57(4), 429-445.
DOI Scopus32 WoS28 Europe PMC22
2015 Betts, N., Fox, G., Kelly, A., Cruickshank, A., Lahnstein, J., Henderson, M., . . . Burton, R. (2015). Non-cellulosic cell wall polysaccharides are subject to genotype × environment effects in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) grain. Journal of Cereal Science, 63, 64-71.
DOI Scopus3 WoS4 Europe PMC1
2015 Corbin, K., Hsieh, Y., Betts, N., Byrt, C., Henderson, M., Stork, J., . . . Burton, R. (2015). Grape marc as a source of carbohydrates for bioethanol: chemical composition, pre-treatment and saccharification. Bioresource Technology, 193, 76-83.
DOI Scopus149 WoS133 Europe PMC53
2015 Corbin, K., Byrt, C., Bauer, S., DeBolt, S., Chambers, D., Holtum, J., . . . Burton, R. (2015). Prospecting for energy-rich renewable raw materials: agave leaf case study. PLoS One, 10(8), e0135382-1-e0135382-23.
DOI Scopus93 WoS84 Europe PMC26
2000 Olesnicky, N. S., Brown, A. J., Honda, Y., Dyos, S. L., Dowell, S. J., & Casselton, L. A. (2000). Self-compatible B mutants in Coprinus with altered pheromone-receptor specificities. Genetics, 156(3), 1025-1033.
DOI Scopus50 WoS46 Europe PMC32
1999 Orford, S., Carney, T., Olesnicky, N., & Timmis, J. (1999). Characterisation of a cotton gene expressed late in fibre cell elongation. Theoretical and Applied Genetics, 98(5), 757-764.
DOI Scopus5 WoS5 Europe PMC2
1999 Olesnicky, N. S., Brown, A. J., Dowell, S. J., & Casselton, L. A. (1999). A constitutively active G-protein-coupled receptor causes mating self-compatibility in the mushroom Coprinus. EMBO Journal, 18(10), 2756-2763.
DOI Scopus97 WoS96 Europe PMC80
1998 Casselton, L. A., & Olesnicky, N. S. (1998). Molecular genetics of mating recognition in basidiomycete fungi. Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews, 62(1), 55-70.
DOI Scopus276 WoS252 Europe PMC203
1998 O'Shea, S. F., Chaure, P. T., Halsall, J. R., Olesnicky, N. S., Leibbrandt, A., Connerton, I. F., & Casselton, L. A. (1998). A large pheromone and receptor gene complex determines multiple B mating type specificities in Coprinus cinereus. Genetics, 148(3), 1081-1090.
DOI Scopus99 WoS93 Europe PMC75

2018 Barbara Kidman Women's Fellowship

Understanding barley grain development and germination to improve industrial malting processes

$21,000

Courses Developed

Techniques in Plant Biotechnology

Date Course Title Institutions Course Level Code
2012 - 2017 First year Master of Science - Coursework students The University of Adelaide PLANT SC 7126 WT
2012 - 2017 Microsoft Excel course ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Cell Walls,

The University of Adelaide		  

Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
2012 - 2015 Co-Supervisor Characterization of Agro-Industrial Residues and Development of Processing Strategies for Conversion to Bioethanol Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Kendall Corbin

Date Role Research Topic Location Program Supervision Type Student Load Student Name
2018 - ongoing Co-Supervisor Cell wall degradation in barley grain Univeristy of Adelaide MSc-Coursework Master Full Time Hanyue (Mia) Wang
2016 - 2016 Co-Supervisor Analysis of Plantago mucilage mutants The University of Adelaide - Honours Full Time James Morgan Cowley
2015 - 2015 Co-Supervisor Nitrogen affects grain development in elite malting barley The University of Adelaide - Master Full Time Haoyu Lou
2014 - 2016 Co-Supervisor Transcription of hydrolytic genes throughout the malting of barley The University of Adelaide - Honours Full Time Laura Gay Wilkinson
2012 - 2012 Co-Supervisor Sorghum stem traits influencing biomass to biofuel conversion efficiency The University of Adelaide - Master Full Time Hai Yen Nguyen

Date Role Committee Institution Country
2014 - ongoing Member Selection Committee for the South Australian Rhodes Scholarship - Australia

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